


my dove

by Bunnylope



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Black Eagle Route, Cats, F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining, yes they both snuggle the stray cats like who wouldnt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-09-01 01:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20250166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunnylope/pseuds/Bunnylope
Summary: Byleth finds Hubert petting some stray cats.Of course, she will never let him live this down.





	my dove

In her time at the monastery, Byleth had seen a lot of intriguing and surprising things. She had witnessed kidnappings, secret passageways, hidden burial sites, secretly evil professors and everything under the sun at this point. Her stare was stoic and her demeanor just as so. Even after falling asleep for 5 years, she was hardly surprised by the antics of her life at this point. Nowadays, she took events as they came, unsurprised with her sword at the ready. 

However, spotting Hubert, the Emperor’s intimidating servant, sitting on the ground and petting one of the stray cats took the cake as the most surprising thing she’s seen for a while. Byleth hid herself behind a nearby pillar in order to not be spotted by the vampire-like mage, who seemed plenty preoccupied with the fluffy tabby and her siblings cooing up to him for some much needed attention. 

Despite lacking a heartbeat, she felt her pulse quicken as she watched the adorable spectacle. The light was low due to the sun setting moments before this so she wished she could get closer without disturbing him. He truly looked at ease, which Byleth deemed a foreign expression on his face. It sent warmth through her heart as he scratched underneath the chin of a fluffy adult cat. 

For a while now, Hubert had been flooding her mind at every inopportune chance. When she was teaching she would feel the icy glare of his golden eyes see right through her-- whether this was an intimidation tactic or not, she could not tell. The feeling of being watched was normal for her, since she did host lectures almost every week, after all. Yet, since the first day she met Hubert, it felt as though he were trying to analyze her through his gaze, figure out her weaknesses… She showed no outward signs of this affecting her, yet nobody has ever been able to get under her skin like he was able to within such a short time of knowing her. 

It was almost enticing to Byleth, the idea that he could possibly be plotting her demise at any moment. Their relationship was akin to a dangerous game of back and forth where nobody has won, as if there were a permanent, tense stalemate every time they came in contact with one another. The game would be played with banter, whoever broke the stare first, or who was able to save the other in battle. The game was unspoken but prominent, a secret ruse for the both of them to balance.

Sometimes she daydreams about him, though she would never admit it out loud. She’d think about pressing a knife to his throat while his hand was clasped around hers, both too hesitant to make any other move, both content with the game staying paused in that moment, both content with savoring the power of the other. 

But right now, seeing him play and spoil a bunch of stray cats, it felt as though she were in heaven. As much as Hubert unlocked a side of her that she never considered or acted upon, he also managed to make her twinge with softness and adoration. Slowly, purposefully, she practically tiptoed closer in order to get a better look at the whole spectacle. 

His back was turned to her, his black velveteen cape resting in the grass as he continued to pay attention to the cats. “Professor, I never expected you to be the type to spy,” he mused, sending a chill down Byleth’s spine. 

Defeated, she sat herself down in the grass in front of Hubert. A cat took to her immediately, curling itself in her lap. “I never expected you to be the type to play with cats.” She slowly pet the cat in her lap behind the ear-- she could feel it purring gently against her skin. 

“I may be conniving, but I can assure you that I am not a monster.” 

Byleth allowed herself a soft grin. “You look adorable with them.” 

Hubert cocked an eyebrow. “My, my, that is not normally a word used to describe me.”

She was silent in return, savoring the moment. With the war continuously raging on, it seemed like there would never be a moment of peace ever again for her. She would always be either fighting someone, defending someone, making battle plans, strategy meetings, paperwork… Yet, feeling the cat in her lap fall into slumber as his purrs evened out into a slow, steady rhythm, reminded her to savor the tiny moments of peace. 

She had no idea how long Hubert intended to stay with her petting the cats like this, but she didn’t want it to end. She wished that she could be stuck in this pocket of reality forever, eternally using divine pulse to selfishly relive this moment forevermore. 

“There is no place I would rather be,” she muttered. 

The pair of misfits embraced a moment of silence. They were both thinking about each other, their minds ensnared by the other. “I am surprised that I am not ruining your time, Professor,” Hubert mentioned, his eyes focused on the cat, but she had a hunch that he was looking anywhere but her. 

“You are the one that I wish to spend my time with the most.” 

In that moment, it was his turn to feel flustered. “S-Such praise is unnecessary.” 

Her reply was swift and genuine. “It is not praise if it is the truth.” 

A light dusting of red touched his ears-- she had always loved when Hubert blushed. 

She had won this small battle, but the stalemate raged on while the two of them sat. “Being frank, I find it strange that you enjoy my company enough to seek it out. Surely I would assume that you would rather spend your time with Lady Edelgard.” 

“Hm, strange. That is what I would assume about you,” she paused as the cat in her lap shifted to find a more comfortable position. One of his claws got caught on Byleth’s lace tights, to which she unhooked it and he retracted his paw. “You two are inseparable.” 

“Yes, one might say that. However, she needs her free time occasionally; as do I.” 

“I apologize if I am ever encroaching on your free time-- I have noticed that I seem to have been very demanding of your presence as of late.” 

“Think nothing of it,” Hubert replied. 

Picturing this five years ago, she never would have expected this type of reply. The only time she spent time with Hubert was when he would threaten to murder her if she crossed Edelgard. 

“I will, however, apologize for leaving you.” Finally, he looked up. His golden eyes met her own green ones-- her pulse faltered. There was something behind his eyes, behind his steely expression that she could not label, she could not put her finger on. Something within her urged to press on. “I have no idea how that must have affected you and Edelgard.” 

“Your disappearance was most tragic for all of us. However, speaking for myself, I appreciate that it happened, as agonizing the whole ordeal was.” 

Her brow furrowed. “What do you mean by that?” 

A devious smirk worked its way onto his face as it always seemed to do. His voice was calculated, plotting, identical to when he was putting his two cents into a strategy meeting. “Had you not left, I would have never been forced to realize how much you mean to me.” 

Byleth was taken aback by that statement. Hubert rarely states his emotions bluntly, so the notion that she is of importance to him… 

Felt wonderful.

More wonderful than she could have ever described. 

“It sounds silly when I say it out loud, forgive me,” he apologized. The cat he was petting slipped out of his touch and waltzed away with a large yawn. Meanwhile, the final cat was still sound asleep in Byleth’s lap, enjoying her warmth. She motioned for Hubert to scoot over so he could pet the napping ball of fluff; he obliged, the two of them sitting closer than ever, their shoulders touching. “Truthfully, your absence was felt every day. It was as if there was a part of myself missing. It was agonizing.”

She chuckled. “You cannot get rid of me that easily.” 

“Truly,” he joked. Slowly, tenderly, he raised a hand and cupped Byleth’s cheek. She eased into his touch with eyes fluttering closed at the delight of the unexpected contact. His touch was soft on her skin and she silently urged for more. “I will cage you if I have to, my dove,” he said, his devious voice barely above a whisper. He eased closer to her and she reciprocated until their lips were barely brushing. “Anything for you to not leave me again.” 

Byleth pressed her lips against his, closing the distance between the two. The kiss was chaste and light, almost barely there, but it sent Byleth spinning. She found herself smiling brightly against his lips for she could not contain her joy. 

He eased his hand further to run through her locks of hair, drinking in every part of her he could. For someone so intimidating, so dark, so brooding, all of his touches were delicate as if he were handling a broken bird, as if he was afraid that if he did anything more that Byleth would disappear under his grip like a fleeting dream. 

“Do you really expect me to leave again?”

With that, Hubert wore one of his rare smiles. 

**Author's Note:**

> I tried i just love hubert


End file.
